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.....................................................................
(Original Signature of Member)

H. R. ll

114TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION

To amend section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to provide
that such section does not authorize the Federal Communications Commission to preempt the laws of certain States relating to the regulation
of municipal broadband, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mrs. BLACKBURN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on llllllllllllll

A BILL
To amend section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of
1996 to provide that such section does not authorize
the Federal Communications Commission to preempt the
laws of certain States relating to the regulation of municipal broadband, and for other purposes.
1

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘States’ Rights Munic-

5 ipal Broadband Act of 2015’’.

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2
1

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

2

It is the sense of Congress that the Federal Commu-

3 nications Commission does not have the authority under
4 section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47
5 U.S.C. 1302) to prevent any State from implementing any
6 law of such State with respect to the provision of
7 broadband Internet access service (as defined in section
8 8.11 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations) by such
9 State or a municipality or other political subdivision of
10 such State.
11

SEC. 3. PRESERVATION OF STATE MUNICIPAL BROADBAND

12
13

LAWS.

Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996

14 (47 U.S.C. 1302) is amended—
15
16

(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and

17

(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-

18

lowing:

19

‘‘(d)

PRESERVATION

OF

STATE

MUNICIPAL

20 BROADBAND LAWS.—Nothing in this section shall be con21 strued as authorizing the Commission to prevent the State
22 of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Lou23 isiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada,
24 North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee,
25 Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, or Wisconsin, or any
26 other State, from implementing any law of such State with
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3
1 respect to the provision of broadband Internet access serv2 ice (as defined in section 8.11 of title 47, Code of Federal
3 Regulations) by such State or a municipality or other po4 litical subdivision of such State.’’.

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